1564y

ESL Grade 9

Full Year / 1 Elective Credit / Grade 9

Prerequisite: 

Successful completion of ESL 1 and appropriate score on Middle School exit test for returning students, or appropriate score on the ACS Athens Placement Test for new students. 

Course Description: 

This is a flexible, mixed level course for students with a higher intermediate to advanced level of English proficiency who need further development of their academic language usage combined with building media literacy and sharpening skills transferable to core subjects. Through language development, students will learn to apply advanced grammar structures and academic vocabulary to increasingly demanding reading, writing, listening and speaking activities while texts and reading materials are aligned with the 9th grade Combo (English and History) and science classes. Through this curriculum, students will develop higher academic vocabulary, grammar mechanics knowledge, reading, writing, listening, and oral skills. Oral skills are developed through presentations, debates, and group discussions. Students will also engage in literary analysis and independent research, which will provide the groundwork for successful academic performance in their 9th grade classes. Focus is placed on demonstrating proficiency, according to students’ needs, in the use of academic language in all four domains (speaking, listening, reading and writing) with an emphasis on fine-tuning the writing process and creating writing pieces that establish proficiency in academic writing aligned with the 9th grade combo and science classes’ learning objectives and expectations.